Collapsible crate.



l. l. GISEKE.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE. APPLlcAnoN FILED Aue.25, 1915.

Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

TNS NUN/71S PETERS CD., PHOTO-LITHOV. WSHINGVUN. D C,

1E 1. GISEKE.

coLLAPsIBLE CRATE. n

APPLICATION FILED AUG-25| I9I5. u I

Patented July 25,1916.

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Lsermon. "l

JOHN J'. GISEKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application led August 25, 1915. Serial No. 47,362.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. GISEKE, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Collapsible Crates; and I do hereby declarethat the following description of my said invention, taken in connectionwith the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exactspecification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to improvements in collapsible crates,and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination ofparts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forthand described and then pointed out in the claims.

In the carrying out of my invention one desideratum stands predominant,and that is a collapsible crate which may be converted from itsoperative condition into a compact collapsed structure without theremoval of any loose parts, members, or elements of any kind. In otherwords 'all the components producing my invention are always connected toa part of the structure whether in knocked down or in upstanding orrighted position, operative for the purposes intended.

In the embodiment of the invention are included means whereby twolifting movements of the hands rights the crate; and,v there areprovided a plurality -of finger tripped locks, positively locking thecrate in its righted7 or operative position. Also ineluded in myinvention are. features of construction whereby thel entire crate maybe, and is preferably produced lfrom light sheet metal and wire screen,so called, so that a long lived, light,.strong, and cheaply manufacturedarticle of manufacture is'the resultant.

Briefly, my invention comprisesla sheet metallic bottom floor or panpossessed of longitudinal and end upstanding walls, near the upperedgesy of which walls are provided hinge lugs.. To the hinge lugs of theend walls are hinged crate ends which are of a size equal to theinterior width and height of the crate and are adapted to `be swunginwardly about their hinges, so as to overlie the bottom in a planeparallel and adjacent thereto. To the hinge lugs' on the longitudinalwalls of the bottom are hingedly attached the crate sides. These cratesides are made up of an even plurality of horizontally hinged togetherpanels, and to the uppermost of these panels on each side of the crateis hingedly connected an integral top member of substantiallyy the samesize as the bottom. Thus when the crate sides are forced inwardly, thepanels thereof fold upon each other and overlie the crate ends in closea'djacency; and the single top member overlies the folded together sidesas hereinafter more fully pointed out.

Located near the vertical edges of the crate sides and the crate endsare coperating devices adapted by trips7 of the fingers, to lock thefour vertical corners of the crate into xed relationship when in rightedor operative position.

Referring now to the drawings herein and made a part hereof, which serveto illustrate my invention more fully, Figure 1 is a side elevationshowing the crate in its rightedJ or operative position. Fig. 2 is a`like elevation denoting the same in its knocked down or collapsedposition. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of the case in its rightedposition and Fig. 4L a similar elevation showing the crate as collapsed.Fig. 5 is a view of a fragment, taken Afrom the interior of the case andlooking toward one of the crate ends showing a side elevation of thecooperating means for locking the sides and ends together. Fig. 6 islikewise a fragmentary view, looking at the parts disclosed in F 5 fromthe side of the crate and eXteriorly thereof. Fig. 7 is a section inline 7-7 of Figs. 5 and 6. Figs. 8 and 9 are elevations of fragmentssimilar in nature to Figs. 5y and 6, but showing a modified form, of thecorner locking means. Fig. 10 is a plan of the invention. Fig. 11 is atransverse, vertical section of the bottom of my crate, taken at line11-11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 12 isa longitudinal, kvertical section of saidbottom in line 12-12 of Fig. 3. Fig. 13 is a section on an enlargedscale in lines 13-13 of Fig. 1 or Fig. 10. Fig.l 14 is also an enlargedsection, taken in line 14j- 14; of Fig. 1. Fig. 15 is likewise anenlarged section'taken in line 15-15 of Fig. 10. Fig. 16. is an enlargedvertical, transverse section of a fragment of the crate in line 16-16kof Fig. 1, the crate end, however, beingV shown in knocked down orhorizontal position. Fig. 17 is lan enlarged vertical longitudinalsection of a fragment of the crate lsaid blank.

in lines 17-17 of Figs. 3 and 16; a portion of one of the crate ends andsides being indicated in collapsed or horizontal position.

Like parts are indicated by corresponding symbols or characters ofreference in all the .comprises first a rectangular blank 10 of lightsheet metal having along the longitudinal edges thereof upstanding walls11 and 11a, bent up from and integral with In like manner the said blankhas along its transverse or end edges similar upstanding walls 12 and12, also integral with and bent up from said blank- Biveted orotherwisefastened to the longi tudinal walls 11 and 11a are sheet metallicsubstantially U-shaped troughsV 13 and 13, the overall lengths of whichtroughs slightly exceed the overall length of the bottom B, to permit ofend members 14 and 14 to close the ends of said troughs and to beriveted or otherwise fastened to the end` walls 12 and 12a as seen inFig. 12. The said end members are possessed of lips 15 and 15aprojecting into said ,troughs and adapted to be soldered or rivetedthereto to provide tight joints at the ends of said troughs, and it maynow be stated that the oiiice of these troughs isto providereceptaclesfor food and water when my invention is employed'as a live poultryshipping crate.

Projecting upwardly from the members 14: and 14a, Vintermediate of theirlength are a plurality'of hinge lugs 16 for the hinged reception ofthecrate ends E, to be more fully described. Y. Stiifening the sheet 10 ofthe bottom B and the troughs 13 and 13L are provided a plurality oftransverse metallic bands 17 Figs. 3 and 4, extending from the outerupper edge of one of said troughs, eXteriorly around the same,underneath the sheet 10 and around theexterior of the other of saidtroughs. And, at the opposite ends of said bands, above the outerupperedges ofsaid troughs 13 and 13, are formed hinge lugs 18 to be morefully referred to.

y Having now reference to the crate ends E, seen particularly in Fig. 3the same are made from wire screens 19 of proper size of wire anddimensions of mesh. The vertical and top edges of these screens areembraced by U-shaped sheet metallic strips 20, andthe klower edgesthereof by similar Ushaped strips V21; the latter, however, havingnotched therein certain cut outs 22, so spaced as to register with thehinge lugs 16 of the bottom end members 14 or 14a. Before affixing thesestrips 21 to the wire screen 19, pintles 23 are lodged in the bottomthereof and then the said strips are slipped over the lower margins ofthe wire screens and fixed in place, and it will now be observed thatthepintles 23 pass through the cut outs 22, and, that these two elementsform the components coperating with the hinge lugs 16 to hingedly affixthe crate end s E to the bottom'B. In the manufacture of these ends,

what is known as black wireV screen is employed, the U-shaped marginalstrips 2O and 21 are of black sheet. metallic stock and are closelypinched or pressed about the ends of the screen, after which thefrictionally united structureis dipped into a gal-` vanizing bath,whereby the said strips and the screen are firmly united together'.Attention is now directed to the fact that the hinge lugs 16 aredisposed at such an eleva- Fig. 16. Medially of the width of the crate Yends E are provided upright stiffening strips 24 to prevent the wirescreens 19 from bulging under internal stress or external impact, in amanner easily understood The crate sides Fy are eachV comprised of upperand lower panels 25 and 25, respectively, which panels are duplicates ofeach other and may be described inthe singular. Each panel is composedofa` wirescreenV 26, bound along its vertical edges by U-shaped sheetmetallic strips 27,"and along its longitudinal edges, ,both top andbottom by U- shaped strips 28, having pintles 2S which strips arepossessed of cut outs or notches 29,

which cut, outs or notches are provided for A,

vdouble hinge or articulating members 30, seen particularly in Figs. 13,14, and 16. The panels 25 and 25a are connected together by these doublehinge members 30 as clearly seen in Fig. '1, and the lower edge of thepanels 25 are likewise hingedly connected to the hinge lugs 18 bysimilar hinge members 30, it being understoodthatrallhingedconnectionsof the side panels with each other with the hinge llugs 18 of the bottommember B, and withthe top member C are obtained by duplicated members30. k The top member C, Fig. 10, is of screen wire 31. like that of thecrateends E or crate sides F and has longitudinal U-shaped 'bindingstrips 32 and pintles 33, the former of which are notched i' for theaforesaid double hinge members30, as seen at 34 in Fig. 10. The endbinding strips 35 for the top C arendisclosed in detail in the fragmentaryV section Fig; 15 and inthis view it will be seen that thesekstrips 35 have a downwardly bent portion 36, at each end of the saidmember C, to prevent undue outward movement of the upper edges of thecrate ends E. The wire screen 31 of the top member C is transverselyreinforced by bands 37 and 37L and longitmlinal U-shaped strips 38 and 3""extending in parallelism between said bands 37 and 374.v The wires inthe rectangular spaceforined by these bands and strips are cut away, soas to produce an opening through the top member C, and this space isclosed by a preferably sheet metallic door 39, having hinges 40, affixedto the strip 37 and hasps 41 embracing staples 42, Fig. 3, which latterare fastened to the strips 872k The said door 39 is provided for theentrance through said top C and exit therefrom of live poultry when thecrate is employed as a poultry shipping crate, and when said crate is soemployed, the door 89 is maintained in closed position by car seals (notshown) passing through the staples 42 aforesaid.

It is now to be observed that the crate ends E are of a width but veryslightly less than the distance between the interior faces of the cratesides F, so that when the latter are in righted or upright position, thesaid crate ends E, when in likewise righted or upright position, havetheir vertical edges in close adjacency to the binding strips 27 on thevertical edges of the panels 25 and 25 of the said' crate sides, andthat the upper edges of the said ends abut against the downwardlyprojecting, transverse lips 36 of the top member C.

In order to maintain the crate sides F and the ends E in their rightedposition there are provided trip locks Gr, Figs. 1 and 3. These triplocks are disclosed in detail in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, and comprise each arectangular sheet metallic blank 43, best seen in Figs. 5 and G. Thesaid blank is of a thickness equal to the interior width of the U-shapedstrips 27, and by riveting or other means, fastened therein at suitablepoints as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Projecting from the outer edge of thisblank contiguous of the inner edge of the strip 27 is a horizontal slot44, which slotterininatesin an upwardly or vertically extending slot 45.In substantial, horizontal alinement with the upper edge of the verticalslot 45, projecting from and fastened to the inner face of the marginal,Vertical strip 20 of the crate end E is a tubular boss 46, the free endof which boss is plane with the free inner edge of the strips 27,marginal of the sides 25 or 25a of the side member F. Journaled withinthis boss 46, projecting therethrough and headed at the outer end asseen at 47, Fig. 7, is a round rod 48, which rod is bent outwardly atright angles at the free end of the boss and terminates in a disk likehead 49. The outward bent portion is adapted to be received in thevertical slot 45 in the blank 43 already referred to and its entrancethereinto may be explained as follows. The end E is first pressedinwardly sufficiently so as to enable the outward bent portion of therod 48 to be rotated past the free edge of the blank 43 until the saidportion is opposite the entrance to the longitudinal slot 44.

into said slot 44, to the vertical slot 45,'

after which a slight upward turning movement of the rod 48 about itsaxis, lodges the said outwardly bent portion in the slot 45, therebypreventing any oscillation of the end E while the said portion 49, islodged in the said slot In order to firmly clamp the crate sides F, or,in other terms the panels 25 `,and 25, against the vertical edges of thecrate ends E, the head 49 of the rod 48 is centrally apertured for thereception of a rivet or stud 50, about which stud is pivoted a lever 51having a peripheral portion 52 disposed eccentrically to the pivot 50,so that as the said lever is rotated, its eccentric periphery willcontact against the outer face of the vblank 43 and enforce a drawingtoffether as it were, of the ends and sides in a manner easilyunderstood. And it is now explained that the lever 51 has an under cutportion 53, surrounding the upper edge of the blank 43 when said leverhas been rotated to clamp the particular side panel and end together, soas to prevent a downward rotation of the rod 48.

It is now to be understood that as many of these clamping members G maybe employed as is necessary to positively maintain the crate ends Il andthe crate sides F in righted position, and it will be also understoodthat a reverse rotation of the levers 51 may be accomplished by theapplication of the tip of a finger to the finger-piece 54 o f the lever51, whereupon the components comprising the clamp or clamps G may bedisconnected in an easily understood manner.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I indicate the clamps Gr of slightly modified thoughequivalent construction. In the last named figures the entire clampmechanism isdisclosed as being located entirely on the exterior faces ofthe binding strips 20 and 27 of the crate ends E and crate sides F,respectively.

I wish now to particularly emphasize the fact that the end members orcrate ends E are truly hinged to the bottom B and operate about pivotsof the hinges in being rotated from the righted or upright position tothe horizontal or knocked down position. But, on the other hand, thelower edges of the crate sides are articulately, jointed to thelongitudinal edges, broadly speaking, of the bottom B. In like mannerthe several are not simply hinged together, but are articulatelyconnected, so that not only a hinged action but likewise an articulationof the parts takes place when the sides are collapsed to convert thecrate into its knocked down position. The top C, essentially a unitarystructure, is also, along itslongitudinal edges, articulately connectedwith the longitudinal upper' edges of the upper panel of the respectiveside members F.

Assuming now that the crate A as a ywhole is in righted or operativeposition, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 8 and that it is desired to knockdown the same so as to occupy less space upon its return journey to theoriginal shipper than the same crate occupied upon its journey from theshipper, all that is necessary is to untrip the levers 51 to release theends E and sides I`; to rotate the ends E into a horizontal position; toinwardly fold upon each other the panels of the sides F by a merepressure of the hands,

c and to engage the hooks 100, normally depending from the lips 36 ofthe cover C, with thumb screws 101 located on the ends 14 and 141i ofthe bottom member B, in which' manner the structure is secured in itscollapsed or knocked down position in an eviing, in combination, abottom member, said bottom member being a sheet metal plate, said platehaving upstanding marginal ianges, asubstantially semicircular metallictrough at opposing upstanding margins of said bottom member, saidtroughs being secured to said upstanding margins, the outery wirestructure, said cover being articulately connected to the upper marginaledges of the upper panels of said side members, there being downwardlyextending ledges on the end portions of said cover constructed to`overlap said end members, trip locks, said trip locks being pivotallyconnected to the end members and constructed to retain the severalpanels ofthe sideA members in upstanding position, a door in said cover,and means on said cover constructed to lock said cover lto the bottommember when the crate is in collapsed condition.

2. In a collapsible crate, the combination, of a metallicvbottom member,said bottom member being of pan-shaped contour, end members hingedlyconnected to said bottom member, and side members articulately connectedto said bottom member, there being on each side member trip lockingdevices constructed to detachably lock said side members to said endmembers, said trip locking devices including each a bent 4rod, onemember of said bent rodl being pivotally connected to the end member,there being at the other end of said bent` rod an eccentrically pivotedclamping member constructed to engage said side member, saidl clampingmember being constructed to release said side member when being rotatedon said bent rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I' havehereunto set my hand.

JOHN J. GISEKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

